Improvement in horseshoes



R. F. COOKE.

Horseshoe.

No.144,833. PatentedNov.25,1873.

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AMVPHOTmL/THUMAPH/ ,0a M Y. (aman/rss massi UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIOE.

ROBERT F. COOKE, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT |N HORSESHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 144,833, dated Novcml. er 25, 1873; application led July 3o, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT F. COOKE, of Brooklyn, Kings county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Horseshoe, and mode of attaching the same to horses7 feet, of which the following is a specication:

This invention relates to india-rubber horseshoes; and consists of a shoe made either wholly of india-rubber, or of india-rubber in combination with leather, felt, or its equivalent, and provided on the top with suitable lips or projections around the outer edge, or around the outer and inner edges, lined with gatta-percha, by means of which the shoe can be firmly attached to the horses hoof.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure I represents an outside view of a horseshoe, attachedI to a horses hoof, embodying my invention. Fig. II is a top view of the same. Fig. III is a longitudinal section of a horseshoe made of india-rubber. Fig. IV is a longitudinal section of a horseshoe made of india-rubber combined with leather, and Fig. V shows the Inode of making the front lip for shoe shown in Fig. IV.

Similar letters represent similar parts.

Arepresents the shoe, made of india-rubber, molded similar in form to a common iron horseshoe, and made of any desired thickness. Around its outer edge, on top, a lip or projection, m, about one inch high at the center in front, and about one-halfof an inch high on the sides, is arranged, andaround its inner edge a small lip or projection, n, about onequarter of aninch in height, is made. The i11- ner surfaces of these lips m anda, and the top surface of the shoe, are lined with canvas, or a similar substance, and made to adhere firmly to the india-rubber, as represented by the black line w, Fig. III. This cloth or canvas lining w will strengthen the india-rubber shoe,

and at the same, time make the gutta-percha adhere firmly to the same. The space between the projections m and n and the top part of the shoe is filled or lined with gutta-percha, c,

l mixed with rosin, shellac, or similar suitable gum, about one-quarter of an inch in thickness.

For cart or working horses, I construct the shoe as represented in Fig. IV, where A' is the india-rubber shoe, made of the desired shape,

and of 'any desirable thickness, on the top of which two or three thicknesses, a a, of leather or other suitable material is fastened, between which the lip or projecting piece m' is fastened, and the whole iirmly secured together by a numberfof suitable screws, x. The top of the leather a and the inside of the lip m is then iilled or lined with gutta-percha, o, similar as above described.

These shoes are formed or molded of different sizes, to correspond with the sizes and shapes of the horses hoofs.

When the shoe is to be attached to the horses hoof, an iron is forged to correspond with the exact shape of the under side of the horses hoof. This iron form is then heated, and applied to the under side of the hoof a sufficient length of time to heatthe same, and is then pressed into the shoe upon the guttapercha lining o to heat and partially melt the same, leaving thereby the exact impression of the shape of the hoof in the gotta-percha. The thus-heated hoof is then pressed upon the melted gutta-percha into the projecting lip m or an', which latter is then pressed against the Outside of the hoof, causing the same, by means of the gutta-percha, rmly to adhere to the hoof. The lip n around the inner edge of the shoe, or the gutta-percha which has been4 pressed out at the inside when the hoof has been pressed upon the shoe, is then pressed against the inside of the hoof, securing thereby firmly the inner side of the shoe to the inner side of the horses hoof.

By this mode the india-rubber shoe, or the india-rubber shoe combined with leather or other suitable material, is securely fastened to the horses hoof, and `will remain iirmly attached until the shoe is worn away, when the same can be either taken off by inserting thc hoof into hot water, which will partly melt the gutta-percha, or, when a shoe as represented in Fig. IV has been used, the india-rubber part A can be taken oft', and replaced by a new piece. j

In a shoe constructed as'y represented in Fig. IV, I cut the lip or projection m with points s, as shown in Fig. V, which are bent and inserted between the leather a a.

In some cases it may be advisable to insert an iron toe and calks into the india-rubber part of the shoe, which are then placed into the mold, when the shoe is molded and embedded into the india-rubber part.

I am aware that horseshoes have been made before of india-rubber, and do not claim therefore, broadly, a horseshoe made of india-rubber; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A horseshoe made of india-rubber, having an outer lip or projection, m, and inner lip or projection, n, running around the hoof, in colnbination With a cloth or canvas lining, w, and gutta-percha lling, o, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the india-rubber shoe A', two or more thicknesses of leather, a a, or

ROBERT F. COOKE.

Witnesses:

HENRY E. ROEDER, C. THORNTON. 

